Here are the updated housing statistics for Winnipeg and Manitoba. References are available at the bottom of the page. Compiled by Sarah Cooper.

 

(Edited on March 19, 2013, to include updated MMRs For 2014 report go here)

Core Housing Need

In 2006: (1)

• 11.3 % of all MB households lived in core housing need (46,900 households)
• 24.0 % of MB renter households lived in core housing need (28,800 households)
• 6.2 % of MB owner households lived in core housing need (18,100 households)
• 22.3 % of those who immigrated to Canada between 2001 and 2006 lived in core housing need in Manitoba (1,600 households)

In 2009: (2)

• 9.3 % of households in urban centres in Manitoba were in core housing need
• 9.5 % of households in Winnipeg were in core housing need

In 2006: (3)

• 10.4% of all Winnipeg CMA (4) households lived in core housing need (28,375 households)
• 23.9% of Winnipeg renter households lived in core housing need (20,910 households)
• 4.0 % of Winnipeg owner households lived in core housing need (7,465 households)

• 8.4 % of all Brandon CA (5) households lived in core housing need (1,640 households)
• 17.4 % of Brandon CA renter households lived in core housing need (1,220 households)
• 3.3 % of Brandon CA owner households lived in core housing need (420 households)

• 9.6 % of all Thompson CA households lived in core housing need (460 households)
• 21.5 % of Thompson CA renter households lived in core housing need (420 households)
• 1.4 % of Thompson CA owner households lived in core housing need (40 households)

• 8.3 % of all Portage la Prairie CA households lived in core housing need (580 households)
• 20.7 % of Portage la Prairie CA renter households lived in core housing need (400 households)
• 4.2 % of Portage la Prairie CA owner households lived in core housing need (175 households)

In 2006: (6)

• 37.3 % of Winnipeg tenant-occupied households spent over 30% of their income on housing.
• 11.6 % of Winnipeg owner-occupied households spend over 30% of their income on housing.

Renting in Manitoba

Current Vacancy Rates

In October 2012, the vacancy rate was (7)

• 1.6 % in Manitoba, the lowest vacancy rate in the provinces
• 1.7 % in Winnipeg CMA
• 0.8 % in Thompson CA
• 0.7 % in Brandon CA
• 1.0 % in Portage la Prairie CA

Monthly Rent	Vacancy Rates in Winnipeg CMA, October 2012 (9)
	Bachelor ($527)	1 Bedroom ($704)	2 Bedroom ($911)	3 Bedroom + ($1027)
Under $500	1.3%	1.1%	1.3%	Data unavailable
$500-599	3.5%	1.0%	0.5%	Data unavailable
$600-699	1.2%	1.0%	1.4%	Data unavailable
$700-799	4.5%	1.4%	0.9%	0.0
$800-1094	Data unavailable	2.4%	1.8%	Data unavailable
$1095+	Data unavailable	3.1%	4.9%	2.3%
Total	1.7%	1.4%	2.0%	1.7%

Average Rents and Median Market Rents

In October 2012, the average rent was (10)

	Bachelor		1-Bedroom		2-Bedroom		3+ Bedroom		Total
	Oct. 2011	Oct. 2012	Oct. 2011	Oct. 2012	Oct. 2011	Oct. 2012	Oct. 2011	Oct. 2012	Oct. 2011	Oct. 2012
Winnipeg CMA	$524	$527	$678	$704	$875	$911	$1050	$1027	$754	$783
Brandon CA	$431	$451	$551	$570	$706	$749	$961	$992	$657	$695
Portage La Prairie CA	$322	$344	$505	$517	$643	$652	$677	$656	$574	$581
Steinbach	$455	$496	$540	$559	$676	$708	N/A	$926	$631	$664
Thompson CA	$566	$653	$645	$722	$710	$796	$709	$842	$683	$764
Manitoba	$520	$525	$670	$697	$850	$887	$1027	$1016	$744	$775

Renters and Owners

In 2006, the percentage of households that owned or rented was: (11)

	Renters	Owners
Manitoba	29 %	71 %
Winnipeg	32 %	68 %
Brandon	36 %	64 %
Portage la Prairie	28 %	72 %
Thompson	41 %	59 %

In 2006, average incomes for renter and owner households were: (12)

	Renters	Owners
Manitoba	$ 35,578	$ 74,051
Winnipeg	$ 35,556	$ 80,807
Brandon	$ 36,574	$ 72,850
Portage la Prairie	$ 33,276	$ 64,524
Thompson	$ 47,689	$ 100,140

In 2011, the Median Market Rent in Manitoba was: (13)

	1 Bedroom	2 Bedroom	3 Bedroom	4 or more
City of Winnipeg and catchment (14)	$665	$890	$1,100	$1,325
Urban/rural market areas	$590	$740	$1,015	$1,140
Non-market areas	$1,340	$1,540	$1,675	$1,840

In 2013, the Median Market Rent in Manitoba was: (13a)

	1 Bedroom	2 Bedroom	3 Bedroom	4 or more
City of Winnipeg and catchment (14)	$748	$939	$1,123	$1,325
Urban/rural market areas	$643	$778	$1,015	$1,140
Non-market areas	$559	$673	$863	$969

Affordability of Average Rents

Affordability of Average Rents in Winnipeg CMA

This table compares the affordability of current rents with incomes. Economic families may include single people who reduce their housing costs by living with roommates or others; households include all members. The dates for income and rent data are different, but rents have been rising much quicker than incomes.

* Includes economic families (two or more people living in the same dwelling who are related by blood, marriage, common law or adoption) and unattached individuals (people living alone or with others to whom they are not related).

Affordability of Average Rents in Brandon CA

Affordability of Average Rents in Thompson CA

Affordability of Average Rents in Portage la Prairie CA

Affordability of Average Rents Compared with EIA Rental Allowances

EIA rent allowances are based on the size of the household, rather than the size of the rental unit. This table approximates how many people could live in various apartment sizes.

	Average Rents (23)
	Bachelor (1 person)	1-Bedroom (1-2 people)	2-Bedroom (3-4 people)	3+ Bedroom (4-6 people)
Winnipeg	$527	$704	$911	$1027
Brandon	$451	$570	$749	$992
Portage La Prairie	$344	$517	$652	$656
Steinbach	$496	$559	$708	$926
Thompson	$653	$722	$796	$842
EIA Rent Allowance, including heat, lights and water (24)	$285+50 supplement	$285-387	$430-$471	$471-$513

Hourly Housing Rates, Manitoba (25)

These charts show how much a household must earn per hour to afford an average rental unit in Manitoba (based on a 40-hour work week, 50 weeks of the year). The blue bars show the hourly minimum wage, EIA and EIA disability benefits (these include RentAid and federal benefits such as the Canada Child Tax Benefit, etc., where applicable. Housing benefits that only some households are eligible for, such as the Portable Shelter Benefit, are not included). The red bars show how much a household must earn per hour for the average rent to be affordable, based on the 30 percent of household income affordability benchmark.

For example, an average 1-bedroom unit in Manitoba costs $697. For this to be affordable, a household must bring in $13.94 per hour.

Winnipeg’s Rental Universe

(This data only applies to apartment buildings with three or more units)

The rental universe in Winnipeg CMA

• declined in 15 of the 18 years prior to 2010 (26) and increased by 250 units in 2012. (27)
• Had 52,569 units in 2012. (28)

Since 1992, Winnipeg’s rental universe has declined from 57,279 units to 52,569 in 2012, (29) a decline of about 8 percent. At the same time, the population of Winnipeg has increased from 677,000 to 762,800, (30) an increase of about 13 percent.

• The result is a drop in the number of rental units from 8.5 units to 6.9 units per 100 people.

Social Housing

Manitoba Housing “owns the Province’s housing portfolio and provides subsidies to approximately 34,900 households under various housing programs. Within the portfolio, Manitoba Housing owns 17,600 units of which 13,100 units are directly managed by Manitoba Housing and another 4,500 units are operated by non- profit/cooperative sponsor groups or property management agencies. Manitoba Housing also provides subsidy and support to approximately 17,300 households (including 4,700 personal care home beds) operated by cooperatives, Urban Native and private non-profit groups.” (31)

National Social Housing Construction

In 1993, the federal government withdrew from housing. Until then, about 10 percent of the housing built each year in Canada was affordable to lower income households; since then it has been less than one percent. (32)

Demographics

Migration

The population of Manitoba increased by 16,100 people from 2010-2011 (from 1,234,500 to 1,250,600). (33)

The population of the City of Winnipeg increased by 9,700 people from 2010-2011 (from 682,100 to 691,800). The population of Winnipeg’s CMA increased by 11,100 people from 2010-2011 (from 751,700 to 762,800).(34)

2010 immigration to centres in Manitoba (35)

	Number	Percentage
Winnipeg	12,263	77.6 %
Brandon	1433	9.1 %
Winkler	411	2.6 %
Steinbach	313	2.0 %
Neepawa	171	1.1 %
Thompson	141	0.9 %
Morden	83	0.5 %
Portage la Prairie	74	0.5 %
Reinfeld	43	0.3 %
Arborg	42	0.3 %

Definitions

Affordable housing: Housing that costs 30 percent or less of household income. Usually refers to housing below median rent/price; does not necessarily have any restriction on household income.

Core housing need: “Acceptable housing is defined as adequate and suitable shelter that can be obtained without spending 30 per cent or more of before-tax household income. Adequate shelter is housing that is not in need of major repair. Suitable shelter is housing that is not crowded, meaning that it has sufficient bedrooms for the size and make-up of the occupying household. The subset of households classified as living in unacceptable housing and unable to access acceptable housing is considered to be in core housing need.” (36)

Lower end of market housing: Social housing where rents are equivalent to rents for comparable units at the lower end of the private market for households that would have difficulty affording housing in the private market. Some homeownership programs focus on this area.

Public housing: housing that is owned by Manitoba Housing and rented at a subsidized rate, for households with limited or fixed incomes.

Rent geared to income housing: Housing where the rent charged is set at a proportion of household income (usually 25-30 percent) for households with limited or fixed incomes.

Social housing: A broader term that includes housing owned by Manitoba Housing as well as housing owned by non-profit organizations, that is rented at a subsidized rate for households with limited or fixed incomes.